Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-05-21
AMONG THE CHURCHES.
Events in the Religious world-work in
the Mission Field.

the Mission Field.
One of the most interesting missions
now in progress is among the Assyrians under
the supervision of the Archbishop of Canter-
bury. These Assyrians number 100000 souls,
living on the shores of the Caspian sea, partly
in Turkish and partly in Assyrian territory.
The Assyrian church traces its ministry to
apostolic times. 1t has suffered owing to the
lack of the education of the people and of
printed books for the services of the church.
Finally the Assyrian patriarch appealed to the
English church for help, and two ministers
were sent to them by the Archbishop of Canter-
bury, and are now laboring among them.
A number of gentlemen in this country
have undertaken to erect monument to st.
Paul in his native city of Tarsus. The monu-
ment will take the practical shape of a training
school for orphans, of whom there are a great
many in Cilicia. The original conception of
this school comes from Mr.. Harntune S. Jenan-
yam, a native of Cicia, and now student in
the Union Theological Seminary of New York
city. A number of people have already be-
come interested in the project, and about
$500 year has been pledged, sum sufficient
to support about fifty children.
The Congregational Year Book for
1887 shows that there are in all Apt churches
in this country, having 1850 members, 1850
ministers, 52l,9S3 Sunday-school scholars.
There are Congregational churches in all the
States and Territories except Delaware and
Alaska. The denomination has seven theolog
ical seminaries. The National Council of the
Congregational churches of the United States
was organized November II, 1871. 1t meets
every third year. The last meeting was at
Chicago in 1886, and the next will be at Wor
cester, Mass, in October, 1889.
The religious statistics of Prussia,
taken in December 1885, have been published.
According to these the Protestants number 49,,
A3,5S7 persons, or GAP per cent. of the total
population; the Catholics, 9,621 624, or 1891 per
cent. (of these 1437 being members of the
Greek orthodox church, 5000 or 0.3 per cent.
belonging to other Christian denominations;
$685. or 1.30 per cent. Jews; 1856 confessing
other religions $500 making no statement of
their religious views.
1t is a remarkable fact not generally
known that in Ethiopia a people numbering
about 100000 have the Old Testament in an
Ethiopic version and still adhere rigidly to the
Mosaic ceremonies and laws. They are the
children of Hebrew immigrants who. IN the
time of the great dispersion, settled in Abys-
sinia and married wives of that nation.
The Church Army of the Church of
England under the patronage and direction of
two archbshops and fourteen bishops, has
brought forward for confirmation over 5000
adults, mostly gathered at the street corners
and from public houses has already over 1000
more adult converts waiting for confirmation;
mas over 5000 adult communicates.
The fifth International Sunday-school
Convention will meet in Chicago on June /.
Delegates will be present from each State, Ter
ritory and Canadian province, and from across
the water, the apportionment in this country
oeing one delegate to every 10000 population.
ALI departments of Sunday-school work will be
represented.
The various missionary societies have
combined fleet of from twenty-five to thirty
missionary vessels-steamers, schooners and
slOops-tve of which belong to the London
Missionary oclety, and three each to the
Church Missionary Society, the Moravians and
the Central African Lakes Company.
During the last eight years 81 $50 sea
men, fishermen and bargemen, besides mem
oers of their families, have taken the pledge of
total abstinence as members of the Missions to
Seamen branch of the Church of England
Temperance Society.
The surprising fact is noted that while
the Wesleyan church in Great Britain had
1870 ministers, had 24,579 lay cass-leaders
and 1900 local preachers last year, so that the
greater part of its pastoral and preaching work
IS done by laymen.
The Gospel according to St. Mark, in
raised Chinese characters, has been published
Tor the use of the blind i'll China. This is the
250th language in which portions of the Bible
have been printed for the blind.
The English Presbyterians have begun
4 mission in Morocco, dark and neglected
field.
1t is said that the membership of Mr.
Surgeons church, London, now numbers
j,2l4.